140 THE PRACTICAL ANGLER 



indicates that the trout has arrived at his starting- 

 place, the angler should strike, and in general he 

 will secure the trout. 



You will frequently observe, when you have caught 

 a trout, or even had one on for a moment, that the 

 worm is off the hooks and a considerable distance up 

 the line, sometimes past one or even two knots. 

 This shows that trout must possess some extra- 

 ordinary power of expelling from their mouths what 

 they find disagreeable, as it is certainly the fish that 

 does it, and not the dangling of the line, or any 

 motion of the stream or rod. 



In fishing pools, if the water is very clear and low, 

 approach carefully. In general, it will be found 

 advisable to kneel ; and, as in fly-fishing, you should 

 come to the water-side at the place where you intend 

 commencing, and should also keep on the shallow 

 side of the water. With a line a little longer than 

 your rod, throw your worm gently as far up from you 

 as possible, and allow it to come down nearly oppo- 

 site to where you are standing, when you should 

 throw again. Casting partly across and partly up is 

 more deadly than casting directly up ; the reason 

 of which is, that in casting directly up, if there is 

 a trout between the angler and the place where the 

 worm lights, all the line passes over it before it sees 

 the bait, and may alarm it. Two casts in one place 

 will in general be sufficient to determine if there is 

 any trout inclined to take ; but if you get a bite, 

 you should of course cast there again. 



In fishing streams, cast in the same direction as in 



